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The Crib in Your Walt Disney World Hotel Room: Getting to Know the Pack ‘n Play

Erin Foster — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:56:35 +0000

Pack 'n Play already in my DVC room closet.

Every Walt Disney World resort hotel room has a posted maximum guest capacity. For example, the standard value resort rooms allow up to four guests to stay there. However, the fine print also states that you can add an additional guest to the room if it is a child under the age of three sleeping in a crib. In most cases, the crib that child will be sleeping in is a Graco brand Pack ‘n Play.

Here’s what you need to know about the Pack ‘n Play and the “sleeping in a crib” part of your Walt Disney World stay with a baby.

What exactly is a Pack ‘n Play?

The Graco Pack ‘n Play is what Amazon.com calls a play yard, and what many grandmas would call a play pen. The actual surface that the baby sleeps on is just a few inches off the ground. It is not a proper crib.

What is the mattress like?

The mattress is about an inch thick, with minimal padding. While this may not seem particularly comfy for us, it does conform to American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for infant sleep surfaces.

What are the dimensions of the Pack ‘n Play?

The Pack ‘n Play is approximately 39″ long x 28″ wide x 29″ high.

I don’t really have a sense of what that means. Is it big enough for my child?

Assembly instructions printed right on the mattress. Available in English and Spanish.

There’s really no need to guess or wonder about this. The Graco Pack ‘n Play is an extremely common item. It is available at nearly every baby retailer on the planet. Pop into your local Babies R Us, Walmart, Target, or specialty shop and you’re bound to find a few on the showroom floor. Similarly, if you have friends with young children, it’s quite likely that one of them will have a Pack ‘n Play stuck in a closet somewhere. Find a demo model, pop your baby into it for a second, and see if he or she looks like the fit is good.

Please note that the Disney-provided Pack ‘n Plays are the bare bones model. There are no bassinet or changing table inserts available.

It looks like it would work, but I’m not really sure. I don’t want to be stuck with something suboptimal on vacation. What do I do?

Like I said, Pack ‘n Plays are everywhere. Put out some feelers, and I bet you’ll find a neighbor with one you can borrow for a few days. Try a couple of nights of practice at home.

Does Disney provide sheets/pillows/blankets for the Pack ‘n Play?

First step. Unhook the Velcro and remove the mattress.

Disney will provide a properly size basic sheet. That’s it. Again, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies have no pillows, bumpers, or other loose materials with them at sleep time. However, if you have a toddler who sleeps with some comfort items, you should be prepared to bring these from home.

What are the provided sheets like?

This may vary slightly from resort to resort, but in my experience, the vast majority of Pack ‘n Play sheets provided by Disney have a busy Mickey Mouse pattern on them. If you feel this may be too stimulating for your child, plan to bring your own. The Pack ‘n Plays use a standard 27″ x 30″ play yard sheet. Also, in my opinion, the quality of the Disney-provided sheets is not spectacular. To me, it feels like a fairly rough poly blend. If you want your child to have all cotton or a fine thread count, bring your own.

One word of caution: If you are going to use your own Pack ‘n Play sheet from home, you may want to remove it from the crib and place it in a drawer when you go out for the day. Your mousekeeper may not understand that the sheet is your property and might inadvertently send it to the laundry with the other linens.

Step two. Stand the Pack 'n Play right side up.

I’m going to need a Pack ‘n Play during my stay? Should I request this in advance?

If you’re staying at a Disney Vacation Club Villa, either paying with cash or using DVC points, there is no need to make a request. There will already be a Pack ‘n Play stored in a closet in your room.

If you’re staying in a regular resort room, then you probably should make the request in advance. You can either do this online or on the phone when you make your room reservation. You can also add the request at a later date by calling 407-W-DISNEY.

Ack, I forgot to make a request in advance. What should I do?

No worries. The advance Pack ‘n Play request is really a courtesy for Disney. If you forget to let them know in advance, just tell the clerk at the registration desk that you need a crib when you’re checking in. Have no fears that they will run out of Pack ‘n Plays. They have billions of them.

Will the Pack ‘n Play already be in my room when I walk in for the first time?

Step three. Push down on the center of the mattress and lock the side rails into place.

If you’re staying in a villa room, there will be Pack ‘n Play folded in a closet. If you’re in a regular room, it’s unlikely that the Pack ‘n Play will already be there when first walk in. This is true even if you’ve made an advance request. Disney rooms are often not officially assigned until the guest actually arrives. If you request a crib upon registration (or remind them of a previous request), then the check in clerk can have the Pack ‘n Play sent up immediately. Usually this will take something on the order of 15 minutes. If it takes more than half an hour, make a follow-up call to either housekeeping or the front desk.

It’s good manners to offer a tip to the bellman or housekeeper who brings the Pack ‘n Play to your room.

Do I have to set up the Pack ‘n Play myself?

Step four. Place the sheet on the mattress and put it on the bottom of the Pack n' Play. Easy peasy.

If you’re staying in a DVC villa room, yes, you will. There are directions on how to do this printed right on the Pack ‘n Play itself. My husband would freely admit that he has absolutely no skill assembling furniture of any kind, and he can easily “build” a Pack ‘n Play by himself in under a minute.

If you’re having housekeeping bring a Pack ‘n Play to your standard hotel room, then you could ask them to set it up for you. If they do this, offer a tip.

Is there a fee to get a Pack ‘n Play in my room?

No. There is no charge for guest use of the Pack ‘n Play cribs.

How much space will a Pack ‘n Play take up in my hotel room?

Do the math and you’ll find that the footprint of the Pack ‘n Play is about seven and a half square feet. A typical value resort room is 260 square feet, meaning that the Pack ‘n Play takes up about 3% of the room. At first glance this doesn’t seem like much, but once you take away the closet and bathroom space, the foot prints of the furniture, and any other large gear you’ll be storing in the room (double stroller, anyone?) and the tiny play yard can quickly feel like a big deal.

One foot ruler in the Pack n' Play to give a size reference.

Take a peek at this excellent visual of room size comparisons and you’ll get a better feel for how much space a Pack ‘n Play will really consume in each room type. Obviously, the smaller the room, the larger the imposition will be. I mention this because even though technically you can put two adults, two medium sized kids, and a baby in a Pack ‘n Play into a room at All Star Sports, the reality is that you’ll feel VERY cramped if you do so.

Any tricks to making the Pack ‘n Play seem less intrusive?

There’s not much you can do in the standard value resort rooms. The Pack ‘n Play will just be there. The moderate resort rooms typically have a sliding door panel or curtain that separates the main living area from the bathroom area. Some guests choose to place the Pack ‘n Play behind that panel to give the illusion that the crib is in another “room.” Of course, if you have to use the bathroom, you’ll end up in the baby’s space with the possible risk of waking him or her. Deluxe resort rooms are often large enough so that find a fairly unobtrusive corner for the crib.

I have twins. Can I get two Pack ‘n Plays in my room?

As long as you’re within the stated room capacity, then yes, you generally can have more than one Pack ‘n Play in your room. I am the mom of twins myself. There were a few WDW trips we took when both my twins did sleep in their own Disney-provided Pack ‘n Plays. In each of these cases, we stayed in deluxe level rooms. Even then we felt a bit cramped. Of course, in addition to the two Pack ‘n Plays we also had a double stroller for the twins, and a single stroller for their big sister, plus lots of other random childcare related gear. In my opinion, if you have young twins, spring for a value resort family suite or a moderate resort room at the very least.

The one foot ruler from another perspective.

My baby has trouble sleeping in the same room as me and/or I have trouble sleeping in the same room as my baby.

Check out our hotel room sleep strategies for some ideas, but in general if either you or your child is a particularly light sleeper, then you should consider a situation where you’ll be able to sleep in separate rooms. These include the family suites at either the Art of Animation or All Star Music value resorts; a one, two, or three bedroom villa at a Disney vacation club resort; a suite at a moderate or deluxe resort; a Fort Wilderness cabin; or off-property accommodations.

I’ve tried to get my baby to sleep in a Pack ‘n Play and it’s just not happening. Are there alternatives?

Yes, SOME of the Disney resorts MIGHT have a few traditional style cribs available for guests to use. My understanding is that these simply do not exist at the value resorts. At the moderate and deluxe resorts, they won’t advertise that traditional cribs are available, but you might get lucky if you ask nicely. Disney will guarantee guests use of a Pack ‘n Play. They will not typically guarantee guests a real crib.

Also, while these may be traditional style (raised off the floor), most will not be full size, and will instead be slightly shorter and narrower than your home crib. This is sometimes known as a hospital-size crib.

Standard warnings. Click to enlarge.

That’s not going to work for me. I need to have a guarantee that my child will have a real crib.

There are number of Orlando area agencies that rent child care equipment, including cribs. If you make a reservation with them, you have a contract that you will have a full-sized crib.

How do get the crib? Do I have to pick it up?

Most rental agencies will deliver and retrieve items from any Walt Disney World resort. Make sure you discuss procedures for this when making your rental.

Will I have to assemble a rental crib?

This may vary from agency to agency, but generally yes. Typically, you will receive all the crib components in your room, but you will have to put it together.

Do you have any recommendations for a crib rental agency?

I have never personally used one of these services, so I feel uncomfortable making a recommendation. I do have several friends on the Disney Parks Moms Panel who have had good luck with A Baby’s Best Friend, so that may be a good place to start, but there are also many other options.

My two-year-old is too big for a Pack ‘n Play, and too mature for a crib, are there toddler bed options at the Walt Disney World hotels?

Not exactly. Many of the deluxe resort rooms include a daybed which would function well with a small child who is used to sleeping on a real mattress. Also some of the moderate and deluxe resorts MIGHT have rollaway cots available. The rollaway situation is akin to the full-sized crib situation; they are stealth items that no one will admit exist. You might be able to ask nicely for one, but chances are you won’t get a guaranteed yes. If you are able to get a rollaway (like a regular twin bed), there will likely be a daily fee for this. I have never personally heard of Disney having low toddler-size beds available.

Hmmm, do you have any other ideas?

Disney does have bed rails available to borrow. Just pop bed rails on the regular room in your bed and you’re good to go. You should request these in advance because there are a limited number in circulation.

Also, A Baby’s Best Friend, and other services will rent toddler beds and deliver them to your hotel.

Alternatively, if you travel a lot and/or have several children, it might make sense for you to invest in your own portable toddler travel bed or cot. Take a peek on Amazon.com for some alternatives. Some of them options may end up costing less money than a temporary rental.

Do you have any photos of the Pack ‘n Play?

Take a look down the side of this post. The Pack ‘n Play pictured was already in the closet of my Bay Lake Tower studio room when I arrived in early 2013. I’ve been a frequent Walt Disney World visitor for 15 years. The Pack ‘n Play pictured here is identical to every other Disney-provided Pack ‘n Play that I’ve seen on property during that entire time.

Fellow travelers, do you have any other questions about the crib situation at Walt Disney World? How did your Pack ‘n Play experience go? Do you have any recommendations for crib or toddler bed rentals? Let us know in the comments below.

The Crib in Your Walt Disney World Hotel Room: Getting to Know the Pack ‘n Play is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Hotel Room Hacks: Ways to Make the Most of the Supplies in Your Walt Disney World Hotel Room

Erin Foster — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:50:09 +0000

A while back, I wrote a post which listed all the things that you can expect to find in your Walt Disney World hotel room. Most of the items on the list seem pretty straightforward. I mean, an ice bucket is just an ice bucket, right?

Wrong.

In addition to being a container for conveying frozen water, your ice bucket can do double duty as a corral for your daughter’s hair supplies, a bowl for your microwave popcorn, or place to warm your baby’s bottle. Here are some hacks you can use to make the items found in your hotel room do double duty when you’re on your Disney vacation.

SHAMPOO

Your hotel toiletries can be used for many things other than getting clean.

Meant to: Keep your hair clean.

Can also be used:

As a gentle detergent to rinse the chlorine out of your swimsuit.
As a “stain stick.” Rub a little into a clothing stain. This will delay the stain setting until you can actually wash the garment.
As a bubble bath for cleaning kiddos. Pour a slow stream of shampoo into the running tub water and watch the bubbles appear.
As a “window cleaner” for your kids’ swim goggles.
Remember: If you’re not staying on points at a DVC villa, you can get as much free extra shampoo as you need just by placing a quick call to housekeeping.

CONDITIONER

Meant to: Keep your hair shiny and tangle free.

Can also be used:

As a shaving cream. Ladies, this works particularly well shaving your legs in the shower.
As a makeup remover for adults. Dab some on a tissue and take off your mascara.
As a makeup remover for kids. If your kids have had face painting or temporary tattoos, conditioner will help remove the gunk.
As entertainment for kids. Plop the kiddos in the tub and let them “paint” on the tile with a bit of conditioner. You’ll obviously need to adhere to the rules of water safety, but this my buy you a quiet moment to check your phone for messages.
To cool and soothe a mild sunburn.

Remember: If you’re not staying on points at a DVC villa, you can get as much free extra conditioner as you need just by placing a quick call to housekeeping.

ICE BUCKET

Your drinking glasses, ice bucket, and ice bucket liner have a multitude of alternate uses.

Meant to: Be a vehicle to bring ice from a machine in the hall to your room.

Can also be used:

As a bowl for snacks. Your Chip & Dale pretzels will be easier to share if they’re not in an awkward plastic bag.
As a corral for loose essentials such as your wallet, keys, phone, tickets. Keep them all in one place for easy location.
As a corral for loose kid paraphrenalia such as Squinkies, hair ties, pressed pennies, etc.
As a warmer for baby’s bottle. Fill with hot water and place the bottle inside until the chill is gone.

Remember: If you’re using the bucket for anything except ice, use the provided plastic liner to keep the bucket clean for future guests.

PLASTIC ICE BUCKET LINER

Meant to: Keep your ice bucket clean and santiary.

Can also be used:

As an emergency diaper disposal bag.
To keep wet swimsuits contained for the flight home.
To keep potentially wet souveniers (bubbles, snow globes) safe for the trip home.
To bring snacks into the parks with you.

Remember: You can get more of these by placing a quick call to housekeeping.

HAIR DRYER

A hair dryer can dry more than just hair.

Meant to: Dry your hair.

Can also be used:

Dry damp swimsuits and other items before packing.
Warm a sticker or price tag to get it off a souvenir.
Get steam off the bathroom mirror.
Dry nail polish. My daughters like to paint their nails on vacation, but are often too impatient for them to dry.
Dry your shoes if you’ve been caught in one of the those frequent Florida showers.

PLASTIC LAUNDRY BAG

Meant to: Convey your clothing for laundry or dry cleaning service.

Can also be used:

As a laundry bag for the dirty duds you create on vacation. Just pop the full bag in your suitcase for the trip home.
As a bag to transport your laundry to the in-house laundromat to do yourself.
To keep wet items contained for the trip home.
To transport items like googles and coverups to the hotel pool.
To keep a change of clothing safe in your diaper bag.
To protect your camera or other valuables on a water-based park attraction.

Remember: You can get more of these by placing a quick call to housekeeping.

IRON

Meant to: Press your clothing into tiptop shape.

Can also be used:

To warm up a child’s PJs to make him cozy for the night.
As a weight for flattening crumpled receipts, maps, or other small paperwork.
To help set the art on a custom made T-shirt.

Remember: We do NOT recommend using your iron as a method of cooking or warming food. It’s a fire hazard and not very nice for future guests who may use the appliance on fine clothing.

IRONING BOARD

Your iron, ironing board, and coat hangers have many uses.

Meant to: Provide a level surface for ironing your clothing.

Can also be used:

As a snack table. Have a child sit on the end of the bed and place the iron board at low height in front of them. No more crumbs in the bed while the kids watch TV.
As an extra desk for papers/computers/etc. while the room’s table is being used for dining.
As a staging area for clothing. It’s a safe place to lay out each family member’s clothing for the next day.
As an extra bedside table. This can be particularly helpful if someone is stuck in the room all day due to illness.

Remember: If you’re using the board for something potentially messy, like food, cover the board with a towel first to keep it clean for future guests.

SAFE

Meant to: Provide a secure spot for valuables and travel documents.

Can also be used:

As a memory aid. Place something you won’t can’t forget in the safe (car keys, your left shoe) along with the valuables. This way you won’t inadvertently leave your computer behind.
As a safe spot for a child’s lovey. Place favorite stuffed animals in the safe to make sure they’re not accidentally sent to the wash by housekeeping.
As a disciplinary device. Store your child’s cell phone in the safe to make sure he can’t use it during meals, while being reprimanded, etc.
Store any potentially hazardous medications or medical devices.

PILLOWS

Extra pillows and your room safe and have many uses as well.

Meant to: Cradle your head for slumber.

Can also be used:

To separate sleeping siblings. We use a row of pillows to divide my daughter who sleeps Gangnam Style from her peaceful twin sister.
As a light blocker. Put extra pillows by the door, in front of the clock, or in front of a gap in the window curtains to keep out extraneous light.
As a playtime device for the kiddos. Let them have a pillow fight on vacation. Best memory ever.
As reassurance for a new bed sleeper. If your youngster is new to sleeping on a big bed, place several pillows on the floor next to him as reassurance that even if he falls, he’ll be safe.

Remember: If you need extras, call housekeeping.

TOWELS

Meant to: Dry your body after bathing.

Can also be used:

As a light blocker.
Rolled up, as a kid-sized pillow.
As a baby blanket.
As a “tablecloth” for a child having a snack.
As an insulator for hot curling irons, coffee pots, etc. (Be careful.)

Remember: Check out our detailed information about the towel situation at Walt Disney World.

CLOCK RADIO

Use your clock radio for many purposes.

Meant to: Wake you up for rope drop.

Can also be used:

As an extra outlet. If you’re using your phone as your alarm, unplug the in-room clock radio for extra charging capability.
As a curfew monitor for teens. If your teens are out on their own in the evening, but you want to go to sleep, set the alarm for their curfew time. If they’re not back in the room to turn off the alarm at the appointed time, then you’re awakened to start hunting for them.
As a night light. Move the clock to a different part of the room where you need just a tiny bit of light for safety or reassurance.

Remember: If you unplug the clock, it’s only polite to plug it back in and reset it to the proper time for the next guest.

DRINKING CUP

Meant to: Convey beverage to mouth.

Can also be used:

To keep family toiletries separated. Each person gets a cup to hold their toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
As a baby bath rising aid. (Plastic cups only please.)
As a corral for loose change and other small items.
As a container for crayons, pens, and other child art and homework supplies.
As an amplifier for your iPhone or other music player. Place the phone in an EMPTY glass and instantly boost the volume. (But please be aware of other guests.)

COFFEE MAKER

Your in-room coffee service has many items which can be repurposed.

Meant to: Wake you up before you go-go.

Can also be used:

To make a warm water bath for a baby’s bottle (see ice bucket above).
To heat water for oatmeal, instant soup or other edibles.
Heat heater for a warm compress to soothe theme park injuries such a blisters or sprains.

Remember: The coffee service comes with a packet of napkins, creamer and sugar. Use the sugar to sprinkle on Junior’s cereal or the napkins for any general clean up.

REFRIGERATOR

Meant to: Chill your Diet Coke and juice boxes.

Can also be used:

To chill damp washcloths; great for wiping down and cooling off after a hot day in the parks.
As a white noise machine. Turn up the temperature on the machine and activate the hum.
To hide things from the kiddos. Does Junior need his Hot Wheels taken away for throwing a tantrum? Place them in the fridge while he’s not looking.
To keep food “souvenirs” fresher longer.

CLOTHES HANGERS

Meant to: Keep your button downs fresh.

Can also be used:

As extra drying space for damp garments. .
Clip-style (skirt) hangers can keep curtains closed.
Clip-style (skirt) hangers can keep artwork, such as a caricature of your child, fresh and away from sticky hands.
To steam out slightly rumpled clothing. Hang your shirt/dress/etc. on a hanger and place it on the shower rod, away from the water. Run a hot shower for a few minutes to loosen the wrinkles.

Remember: Call down to housekeeping if you need more.

Fellow resort residents, have you used any of these hacks? Do you have other favorite hotel room tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments below.

Hotel Room Hacks: Ways to Make the Most of the Supplies in Your Walt Disney World Hotel Room is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Choosing A Disney World Hotel: It’s All About the Bathroom

Erin Foster — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:05:36 +0000

A perennial question among Walt Disney World travelers is, “How do I decide where to stay?”

Over time, I’ve stayed at every Walt Disney World resort except the Fort Wilderness cabins, and I have toured those, so I am quite familiar with the pros and cons of each type of lodging. I can spend hours parsing the relative merits of room size, transportation options, location, pools, and restaurants, but I’ve finally concluded that deciding factor for me is the bathroom situation.

Spacious shower at the Saratoga Springs Tree House Villas.

I’m going to be elaborating here, the squeamish among you can move along.

During the past two years, here is a sampling of some of my Walt Disney World hotel stays:

Polynesian, two adjoining rooms, five people – myself, hubby and three daughters, two bathrooms
Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani two bedroom villa, five people – myself, hubby and three daughters, three bathrooms
Old Key West, studio, four people – myself and three daughters, one bathroom
Contemporary, solo, one bathroom
Beach Club Villas one-bedroom, three people – myself and two daughters, one bathroom
Beach Club Villas studio, two people – myself and hubby, one bathroom
Pop Century, solo, one bathroom
Pop Century, two people – myself and one daughter, one bathroom
Caribbean Beach, solo, one bathroom

As you can see, I’ve recently experienced the full range of Disney hotel offerings, from living large to just the basics. Having so much variety within a relatively short of amount of time has allowed me to crystalize my thoughts on Disney hotel stays. Depending on the type of vacation I’m having, I’m equally as fine with cheap and simple as I am with posh and pricey. What I’m not fine with is waiting for the bathroom, or feeling pressured because someone else is waiting around while I use the bathroom. I’ve learned that when I’m at Walt Disney World, I want to be at Walt Disney World, not negotiating whose turn it is to use the toilet.

Two sinks at the Caribbean Beach resort

I have found that most hotel room features or resort amenities can be accommodated for in other ways. Don’t like waiting for a bus at the values? Rent a car. Don’t like the bargain shampoo/conditioner combo at a value? Bring your own toiletries. Want more/better meals than what they’re serving at the food court? Go ahead and eat at a different resort. But when you’re trying to get ready in the morning, the bathroom structure in your room is immutable and, well, impactful.

For example, staying solo at any level of resort works well for bathroom use. Obviously no one is fighting me for the facilities there. From this perspective, there is no difference to me between the value, moderate, and deluxe stays; as long as the facilities are clean and functional, I’m happy. If I’m busy doing research or otherwise “working,” saving money by staying at a value is all good in my book.

I’ve also been fine when staying in any level room with my husband or just one of my daughters. Two people can easily work out their morning routine to stay out of each other’s way during the, um, business portion of the morning.

Basic, but functional at the Pop Century

However, my most recent WDW stay was at in a studio the Beach Club villas with my husband. Most of the time we were okey-dokey sharing the one bathroom, but (not to put too fine a point on things) we really struggled on the morning of the half marathon, which we both ran. Our “timing” was off because of the 3:00 a.m. wake up call and our nervous first-race stomachs. Hubby ended up taking advantage of the facilities in the hotel lobby, but neither of us felt this was an ideal solution. Sometimes you just want to have your own space, ya know?

Things get further complicated when you’re sharing a bathroom with more people. My more challenging hotel stays have been when I’ve been in groups of three or more people sharing one bathroom. Perhaps this has to do with the composition of my particular family. My three daughters are all teens and tweens. And did I mention that they’re girls? And did I mention that they’re teens and tweens, with all the adolescent angst that goes along with this? Oh, and they all have really long hair, which needs to be washed, and dried, and styled, and maybe styled again depending on the weather. This means they each need a solid half hour minimumof quality bathroom time each morning, even if they’ve showered the night before.

More fancy at the Contemporary

Making rope drop ain’t gonna happen with this crew when we’re all competing for one commode or mirror. That’s a real problem for my touringplan-following, type-A personality.

Our recent stay with the most family conflict was in the studio at Old Key West. We had plenty of space for sleep, but when we four women tried to get washed and dressed in time for a Chef Mickey’s breakfast, more than a little chaos ensued. Conversely, our best stay was at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Not because of the huge amount of space (which there was) or the view of the zebras (super cool), but because we had three glorious bathrooms. The ALK situation worked better for us than even the two bedrooms at the, in my opinion, much better located Polynesian, all because we had an additional bathroom.

My new biggest criteria for deciding where to stay is our ability to keep our person to bathroom ratio low. If the five of us are traveling together, I would rather stay in a value resort family suite with two bathrooms than in a standard room in a deluxe with just the one bathroom. No amount of monorail access and complimentary H2O conditioner is worth a catfight. But maybe that’s just me.

How does your family cope with bathroom issues on vacation? Does it matter to you if the toilet and shower are in separate rooms? Does it matter if you have two sinks? Do you mind sharing a bathroom with non-nuclear-family traveling companions (like a friend, or your mother-in-law)? What odd things are the deciding factors for where you decide to stay? Let us know in the comments below.

Choosing A Disney World Hotel: It’s All About the Bathroom is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.